Saturday, June 23, 4:15 p.m. Castro • BAY AREA PREMIERE
 |
| Leitis in Waiting |
First, a quick sidebar: most English speakers pronounce Tonga as “tong-guh,” but if you listen carefully in this film, you will note that the correct pronunciation is closer to “tong-uh.” Tonga is a small island kingdom in the South Pacific, near Fiji and Samoa. It is the only Pacific island that was never politically colonized by Europeans, Americans, or other outsiders, but it was colonized in a much more insidious fashion by the Christian missionaries who viewed many aspects of traditional Tongan culture, including the respected role of the leitis (in Western terms, transwomen) in society (up to and including functions of the royal family), as unbiblical and disreputable.
Leitis in Waiting is a documentary about the leitis, particularly Joey Joeleen Mataele, their lives, and their struggle against the efforts of U.S.-financed fundamentalist preachers advocating for stricter enforcement of the sodomy laws still on the books in Tonga (and in several other Pacific Island nations). The leitis, their royal patron, and their families and friends, are all engaging, speaking candidly about their childhoods and present-day lives. It’s a striking look at a vibrant culture at odds with the global push of fundamentalist homophobia and transphobia. Definitely a MUST SEE.
I’ve been fascinated by Pacific Islander cultures ever since my father gave me his copy of Pukui & Elbert’s Hawaiian dictionary, but all the more so as I have learned about the complex role of gender in traditional Pacific Islander cultures. I urge you, in addition to seeing this film, to sgin the petition to decriminalize LGBTQ Pacific Islanders in the 7 Pacific Islands Forum member nations that still have colonial-era anti-gay laws on the books, and to promote the respect and general welfare of sexual minorities in general.
Leitis in Waiting is a documentary about the leitis, particularly Joey Joeleen Mataele, their lives, and their struggle against the efforts of U.S.-financed fundamentalist preachers advocating for stricter enforcement of the sodomy laws still on the books in Tonga (and in several other Pacific Island nations). The leitis, their royal patron, and their families and friends, are all engaging, speaking candidly about their childhoods and present-day lives. It’s a striking look at a vibrant culture at odds with the global push of fundamentalist homophobia and transphobia. Definitely a MUST SEE.
I’ve been fascinated by Pacific Islander cultures ever since my father gave me his copy of Pukui & Elbert’s Hawaiian dictionary, but all the more so as I have learned about the complex role of gender in traditional Pacific Islander cultures. I urge you, in addition to seeing this film, to sgin the petition to decriminalize LGBTQ Pacific Islanders in the 7 Pacific Islands Forum member nations that still have colonial-era anti-gay laws on the books, and to promote the respect and general welfare of sexual minorities in general.
• IMDb • trailer (YouTube) • official website • Facebook: @TongaLeitisInWaiting •
No comments:
Post a Comment